Click on the thumbnails below to read the articles about the Mrs. Alf Doten trips to the Asylum.
The Articles are from the Nevada State Journal, 3-11-1884.
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Click on the thumbnails below to read the Insane Asylum Investigation
Nevada State Journal 2-26-1885
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Excerpts from "Caring for the Environment: My Work with Public Health and Reclamation in Nevada", by W. Wallace White, 1970, University of Nevada Oral History Program.
"When we took over our inspections here, the administration building was considerably off the ground, the sewers were broken, the sewage did run under the building, there were rats all over the place. The place did smell." (pg. 94)
"There were such things as urine-soaked mattresses--I don't mean only urine, these were feces-stained. They stunk." (pg. 94)
"...asking him about putting such things as mattress covers on, or rubber sheets... But this was unheard of: 'No, they would strangle themselves.'" (pg. 95)
"...a high percentage of the people going to the doctor were for burns. There was no regulation of the water; it was either cold or scalding hot."
"For instance, the radiators were exposed." "I actually saw a man sit against one of these with his feet on it; it was a cold, cold day, I agree, but he sat there and I could smell him burning; he still sat there."
Page 96 describes a male ward that smelled badly of urine. In a closet adjoining the room was a stack of tin coffee and vegetable cans. "...five or six o'clock at night--the attendant gave each person one of these cans, locked the door and went about their business. Well, this was horrible because the cans weren't cleaned, they were rinsed and obviously put in this room with wooden floors and plaster walls--it stunk--it was an overpowering smell."
"Oh, I remember there was to be a swimming pool at the state hospital, but who was the swimming pool for?--the superintendent who was to have a new house, not for the patients. (page 101)
"But we weren't thinking of these places as we do today, where a person in an asylum is sick."
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